1. What are the 7 major indoor air pollutants?
- Carbon Monoxide – an odorless, colorless, toxic gas. Because it’s impossible to see, taste or smell, Carbon monoxide can kill you before you are aware it is in your home.
- Biological Pollutants – this is a broad category that includes bacteria, viruses, animal dander, house dust, mites and pollen.
- Asbestos – a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil. It’s been used in a wide variety of manufactured goods and elevated concentrations of airborne asbestos can occur after materials containing asbestos have been disturbed.
- Pesticides – these are chemicals that are used to kill or control pests which include bacteria, fungi and other organisms, in addition to insects and rodents. These are inherently toxic.
- Radon – exposure to deadly radon causes lung cancer in non-smokers and smokers alike. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
- Indoor Particulate Matter – a complex mixture of solid and/or liquid particles suspended in the air. These particles, once inhaled, can affect the heart and lungs.
- Secondhand Smoke – a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning of tobacco products and the smoke exhaled by smokers. Secondhand smoke causes cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome.
2. How can I improve indoor air quality?
- Change your AC filter – These filters are constantly cleaning the air in your home when your HVAC system is running. Keeping them clean by replacing or washing if you have a washable filter is extremely important.
- Clean other air filters – many appliances in your home use air filters that should be cleaned or replaced, these appliances include vacuum cleaners, clothes dryers, and kitchen vents.
- Check air ducts – poorly installed or maintained air ducts can easily transfer contaminants from one room to the rest of the entire house.
- Use cooking vents – many air pollutants come from the kitchen, using a kitchen vent helps filter out the indoor air.
- Keep rugs and carpets clean – dust and dander can get trapped in the fibers of rugs and carpets. Cleaning them on a weekly basis makes a big difference, especially if vacuuming with a HEPA filter.
- Control Humidity in your home – humid and moist conditions breed mold and mildew that can trigger respiratory issues like allergies and asthma.
3. What causes poor indoor air quality?
Indoor Air quality problems result from many different sources.
- Indoor environment – inadequate temperature, humidity, poor air circulation, ventilation system issues.
- Indoor air contaminants – chemicals, dusts, molds or fungi, bacteria, gases, vapors, odors
- Insufficient outdoor air intake
4. How can I check the air quality in my home?
You can purchase an indoor air quality monitor which is a device that monitors the quality of your indoor air. These always-on electronic devices consistently test and report on the levels of pollution inside your home.
5. What are the symptoms of bad air quality in the home?
There are many different symptoms, but the most common ones are:
- Dryness and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Hypersensitivity to allergies
- Sinus congestion
- Coughing and sneezing
- Dizziness
- Nausea
6. Do indoor plants improve air quality?
The relationship between indoor plants and air quality is a complicated one. It’s been a common idea for a long time that indoor vegetation will remove pollutants from the air, but recent studies have shown mixed results with this. While it definitely can’t hurt to add more indoor plants, don’t expect a significant reduction in indoor pollutants.
7. Are air purifiers worth it?
Air purifiers can definitely clean the air in your Tempe, AZ home. These devices, depending on what model you decide to get can have a huge range of pricing and impact on your indoor air quality. EPA-reviewed studies have shown improved cardiovascular health and modest improvements in allergy and asthma symptoms among air purifier uses. There are limits on what air purifiers can actually clean, though technology is always improving.
8. Is it good to sleep with an air purifier?
Air purifiers do improve sleep. These devices can purify the air in your Scottsdale home by trapping 99.97% of down to 0.3 micron airborne allergens such as dust, dust mites, pet hair, pet dander, mold spores, and lots of bacteria that cause congestion and make you wake at night.
9. Do air purifiers kill viruses?
Many air purifiers are effective at removing 99.99% of airborne viruses, which are sometimes able to stay suspended in the air for hours. More often than not, humans are the main source of airborne diseases in the home and workplace. When someone sneezes or coughs, tiny water or mucous droplets filled with viruses or bacteria scatter, easily entering the air, and then entering your lungs which makes you sick. Air purifiers are effective at removing or reducing these types of virus transmissions.
